This document provides recommendations from a former VP of Product at LoopNet on how to be a better product manager. The recommendations include: 1) Know the core drivers of your business and the underlying numbers that impact acquisition, engagement, monetization, and repeat usage. 2) Target features and optimizations to increase the things that drive the core metrics while decreasing things that don't. 3) Constantly conceive of and track new ideas for acquisition, engagement, and monetization projects to improve the product.

1. How to Be A (Kickass) PM w/ LoopNet’s
Former VP of Product

2. How To Be a
Kick-Ass PM
(less clickbaity: One Guy’s Recommendations
about Product Management that will
Hopefully Help You be a (Better) PM)

3. 2

4. If you’re asking yourself if this is just going to be a deck of
blue-chip tech company logos and nothing more, the
answer is “stay tuned!”
3

5. “Wow, this presentation is not ‘kick ass’ and this guy
doesn’t know Airbnb updated its logo 3 years ago.” Just
trying to keep you on your toes, folks!
4

6. Prediction: Instagram will soon incorporate Ghostface
Chillah in their logo. Ok, enough with the logos and (poor
attempts at) humor…
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7. Acquire Traffic
Engage Users
Monetize
Recommendation 1: Know the
Core Drivers of Your Business
Repeat
6

8. 5,000,000 users
2,500,000 50%
100,000
4%, 2%
Recommendation 1: Know the
Core
(and
Drivers of Your Business
the underlying numbers)
Acquire
Engage
95,000Monetize
95% (-5%)
7
95
Repeat

9. 5,000,000 users
2,500,000 50%
100,000
4%, 2%
95,000
95% (-5%)
2: Target
Features
Core with Products,
and Optimizations
Increase
Acquire*
Decrease
Engage
Monetize
Tempted to do
something over here?
8
Repeat

10. “Make the Button Big and Red”
9

11. Head of analytics said her model
predicted with 100% confidence that
red would perform 4% better
We tested red on this other page
and conversions went up 4%
Facebook designer blogged that red
would increase conversions by 4%
Customer service has gotten
multiple requests for “more red”
Sales promised a major prospect
that we’d make the button red (and
they didn’t even check with us!)
Startup competitor uses red
CEO’s favorite color is red 10

12. e
e
3: Constantly Conceive of and
Track New Ideas
r
Acquisition
Projects
Acqui
The Other “8,000”
Engag Projects You Want To Do
Monetize Red ButtonMonetization
Projects
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13. 4: Vet and Prioritize
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14. 5: Avoid Analysis Paralysis
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15. 14

16. 6: Build Trust Internally
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•
•
Justify projects to all invested parties
When you win, publicly give credit (and incentives)
Own up when you fail
You’re the product expert, they’re the expert
Solicit and value product feedback
Train customer service and sales
Test alongside QA
Stay for (big) deployments
Respect “headphones”
If a co-worker drives you crazy, try
before driving them crazy in return
across org
and try again
•
•
•
Engineering, design and marketing are your allies
Build bridges after arguments
Don’t change requirements or design last minute 15

17. 7:
•
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Refine Core PM Skills
User stories
UX
Flowcharts
Wireframing
UI
User testing/focus groups/surveys
Requirements (MRDs,
Site tests
Analytics
And bears oh my…
PRDs)
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18. 17
8: Love Product

19. My Parting
Request
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